Automobile door-opening mechanism.



T. A. 1. PORTER.

AUTOMOBILE DOOR OPENING MECHANISM. APPLICATION mm rss. 21, 1914.

- Z IVIIIIIAI 11!!! Patented July 20, I915.

and immediately adjacent to the seat 8;

TD ST AUTOMOBILE DOOR-OPENING MECHANISM.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, THOMAS A. J. PORTER, a citizen of the United States of America, residing at Tuckahoe, in the State of New Jersey, have invented new and useful Improvements in Automobile Door-Opening Mechanisms, of which the following is a specification. I

This invention relates to means for automatically opening and closing the side doors of an automobile, and has for its object the provision of a device which can be operated electrically.

Another object is to provide in such a device a solenoid, operative through levers to open the door, and resilient means toclose the door upon the cessation of the electric current in the solenoid.

A modified form of the device employs power derivedindirectly from the engine shaft for opening the door, the same being utilized at will by the operation of a simple clutch mechanism, and resilient means to close the door upon disengaging said mechanism.

Further objects and advantages of this invention are fully brought out in the following specification, when read in conjunction with the accompanying drawing, in. which Figure 1 is a side elevation of a part of an automobile partly in section and showing the preferred form of the device; Fig. 2 is a horizontal section of the same.

Referring to Figs. 1 and 2 of the drawings, the central portion of a side of an automobile is shown as comprising the usual body 1 and entrance opening 2 with dash board 3, at the base of which is the floor 4. The opening for the entrance of the occupants is normallv closed by adoor 5, slida ble on wheels 6, or ball bearings, into and out ofa recess 7 in the side of the car body When in closed position, said door enters a recess 9- in the door jamb, the said walls of said recess operating to prevent the lateral displacement of said door. Within the recess 7 is a bell crank lever 10, one arm being provided with a'longitudi'nal slot 11 for coiiperation with the pin 12, slidably and pivotally connecting said lever to said door, while the other arm is attached by a re- Specification of Letters Patent.

mobile, a. bell crank lever pivoted Patented July 20, 1915.

Application filed February 27, 1914. Serial No. 821,515.

silient member 13 to a suitable point on the side of said recess, said lever being pivoted for oscillation at 14. Also connected to the shorter arm of the lever 10 is a link 15, ex-

tending downwardly through a hole 16 in the bottom wall of the recess 7 and pivot ally connected to a plunger or armature 16,

operative to slidably enter a solenoid 17,.

electrically connected to a source of current 18, as for'instance aprimary or secondary battery 19, the electric circuit being completed through a suitable push button or switch 20, conveniently located, as upon the dash board of the car. From this construction it is obvious that upon the closing of the circuit through the switch, the current from the source 19, passing through the solenoid 17, pulls the armature '16 downward, carrying with it the shorter arm of the lever 10. The longer arm of said lever is thereby pulled inwardly, thus causing the door to open, and enter the recess 7. Upon breaking the electric circuit at 20, the spring or other resilient member 1'3, tensioned upon the opening of the door, is released and permitted to raise the armature and shorter arm of the lever, thus forcing said door out of the recess and into closed position.

Though there has been described but one form'in which the invention may be constructed, it is evident that many modifications 'can be made therein without departing from the spirit of the invention or the scope of the appended claim.

I claim:

In combination with the frame of an autoto said frame, said bell crank lever havin its arm portions of different lengths, a sliding door pivotally connected to the long arm portion, a link pivotally connected to the short arm portion, a closing spring secured to said frame and short arm portion respectively,

G'opies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents. Washington, D. G. 

